Friday, January 20, 2017

Say What? This is one large fishing net!

Elyse, willing to show off her Dad's new fishing net

Recently I was given a new fishing net as a gift. The JTA Measure Net, Guide size. This is a large fly fishing net, I would say primarily for catch and release fishing, which is typical of fly fishing. Living in California and fishing for big trout, a big landing net has become a must. For years I have used a smaller JTA measure fishing net but over time I have seen the need for a bigger net. For yearly fishing trips up to Pyramid Lake chasing monster Lohantan Cutthroat Trout or big Brown Trout at Crowley Lake you will learn fast that a large net makes landing some of these monster trout a much more effective and enjoyable experience. Don't worry, you can also use this net for tournament bass fishing or striper fishing and many other species! It is a very universal net.

I will be honest. I ordered this net blind and was quite blown away when I received it. It was MUCH LARGER than I was expecting. This was a GOOD THING!

Quality, Fit & Finish

The quality on this net is great. The netting is without knots, which is great for catch and release fishing. The stout aluminum frame and handle pole is finished nicely with a dark blue finish. A padded handle also acts like a float. A small ring on the end of the net allows it to be secured to a boat or ladder (at Pyramid Lake). The rubber netting can be replaced once you have caught hundreds of 10lb trout... I hope it make it there!

Size

This is a large fishing net! This is not recommended for stream fishing or areas where 12" trout are common. This is to be used on bodies of water where MONSTER trout grow, such as Pyramid Lake in Nevada or Crowley Lake in California. Why not even Jurassic Lake in Argentina?

My 15 month old child fits in this net and she weighs over 25lbs!

This net is great for having on a boat where you can have it ready at any time for landing a fish. Or on the shore at a lake and your buddy can bring it out to you to land the big one. The net is not heavy, but it's sheer size will eliminate it from being a backcountry hiking net.

The opening is 16" x 23". The tape measure in the above photo is brought out to 6ft along the sofa. The handle extends out to create a full extended length of 67" for reaching the bigs. Having this reach is going to be the difference between landing the trophy and possibly not... The net will measure a fish up to 40". For most fish in California, this is plenty sufficient!

Cost

This is a strong point of this net in my opinion. The cost is roughly around $80 dollars which isn't much more than some of the smaller fishing nets. A lot of other guide nets used in fly fishing are in the hundreds of dollars. I have been seeing quite a few out there lately. Take for instance the Orvis Bodin Landing Net, $189. Some of the other fine wooden nets are $300+. These other nets may warrant the higher price, but if you are like me and need a budget friendly net, $80 is much more palatable.

Wrap Up

This is one awesome net! Large in size, a great quality and a bargain price, it's hard to find a comparable one on the market. Yes, there are fancy wood nets out there and some of them are bigger, but if you're like me, this net is plenty big enough for California trout! A lot of the fancy wood nets carry a hefty price tag, perhaps they are a luxury. I'm not saying there aren't other alternative or even better nets out there, but if you want a solid, strong and large landing net, I recommend this JTA Fishing Net! Please leave a comment below!

* Please note, I am no way affiliated or sponsored by JTA. This is purely a product review for my own use.

Pros

Sturdy construction

Catch and Release material

Provies a pretty accurate measurement of fish

Great value, bang for your buck

Cons

If you are realistically catching 40" trout, this net may still not be big enough